Unloading mechanism.



PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906.

v G. WARD. UNLOADING MECHANISM.

A'PPLIOATION FILED AUG. 31. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NITED STATES PATENT FFTOE.

GEORGE WARD, OF HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH TO BERNHARD HEPPS, OF HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

UNLOADING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WARD, a citizen of Great Britain, residing at Homestead, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Unloadin Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, forming part of the specification, in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a portion of the locomotive provided with my improved power-actuated unloading mechanism. Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view of one of the shifting clutches in engagement with the shaft of an adjacent car. Fig. 3 is a detailview illustrating a shaft provided with a universal coupling. Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation, showing a car connected with the locomotive and a portion of an adjacent car in position to be operated. Fig. 5 is an end view of one of the cars, showing the clutch shifting and locking mechanism. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view on the line VI VI of Fig. 3, illustrating the means for securing and releasing the laterally-swinging doors.

My invention refers to improved mechanism for unloading one or more of the cars of a train by means of power-actuated mechanism mounted upon the tender of a locomotive, so arranged as to be within the control of the engineer or fireman and adapted to be coupled with one or a series of cars of a train.

The improvement relates to the combination, with the locomotive, of the actuating prime mover, to the means for coupling up said prime mover with the individual doorcontrolling mechanism of each car or of a series of connected cars, to the means for looking the operating-shaft of each car against rotation, and to various other features of construction, as shall be more fully hereinafter set forth.

Referring now to the drawings, 2 represents the engine provided with the usual tender 3, upon the back portion or upon any convenient portion of which or upon the engine, if preferred, is mounted a motor, preferably a steam-engine 4. The valve-chest of the engine is connected by a pipe 5 and flexible coupling 6 with the boiler 7 of the locomotive, the connecting-pipe being provided with a controlling-valve 8, by which the steam-supply is regulated, said valve being located within easy reach of the occupants of the cab.

9 represents a dumping-car of any suitable design or construction, but preferably provided with laterally-opening doors 10, although the doors may, if preferred, be arranged to open downwardly in any suitable manner. Each car is provided with a shaft 11, mounted in suitable bearings and extending throughout its length from one end to the other and projecting beyond the end of the car, as shown. At one end the shaft 11 is provided with a squared terminal 12, or the terminal may be made in any other suitable manner to adapt it to be coupled to or connected with a shifting coupling. At the other end the shaft 11 is provided with a shifting coupling 13, slidingly mounted upon the shaft and in spline or suitable driving engagement therewith, and when coupled together the adjacent ends of the cars and their shafts are in such relation that by shifting the coupling 13 forwardly upon the tapered end 12 of the shaft both shafts will be in driving engagement w th each other. The driving-shaft 14 of the engine 4 is likewise provided with a similar coupling 13, and all of said couplings are preferably cylindrical in form and provided with a series of circular rack-teeth 15. 1

16 is a shifting pinion-wheel mounted upon a'shaft 17 in suitable bearings, the shaft eX- tending outwardly at one or both sides of the car when desired and being provided. with an operating crank-handle 18. By this means the coupling is shifted forwardly or back wardly to couple to and unoouple from the end of the car-shaft. This construction is provided at one end of each car, as well as upon the rear end of the tender, and it will be seen that as many of the cars as are desired may be coupled up at one time or that they may all be uncoupled during the time when the train is in motion.

For the purpose of locking the shaft 11 against rotation it is provided at both ends with a pinionor ratchet-wheel 19, into the teeth of which engage the teeth of a lockingbar 20, rotatably mounted in suitable bearings extending out of one or both sides of the car and provided with a suitable operatinghandle 21. By this means each shaft is rigidly locked against motion, so as to prevent opening of the car-doors when loaded.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the shaft 11 in the car as being provided at one end with a universal-joint coupling 22 and supplemental terminal 12, adapted to be engaged by the coupling 13, the universal joint providing for variations in alinement with the shaft due to curves in the track, &c.

The operation of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description. One or any number of'the cars of the train may be dumped, and if it is desired to discharge the contents of all of the cars approximately at the same point this may be done by first emptying the car next to the locomotive, the shafts of the remaining cars being uncoupled, then shifting the second car by the locomotive up to position and coupling up its shaft with the other end of the first previously emptied car, and so on until the entire train is emptied.

The invention greatly facilitates the discharging of the contents of the cars at any desired point, and the apparatus is entirely within the control of the engineer with no other assistance than that of an attendant to couple and uncouple the shaft connections. It is simple and cheap in construction and operation, not liable to get out of order, and will be found to operate satisfactorily under the various conditions of service in the transpoptation and unloading of loose material in bu k.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the various details of construction by the skilled mechanic; but all such changes are to be considered as within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is 1. Unloading apparatus comprising in combination with the tender and boiler of a railway-locomotive, an independent engine mounted on the tender provided with a driving-shaft, means for coupling said drivingshaft to an adjacent shaft located upon a car adapted to be coupled with the tender, a steam-supply pipe connecting the locomotive-boiler with said engine, and a valve-controlled connection interposed in said supplypipe, substantially as set forth. 7

2. Unloading apparatus comprising in combination with the tender and boiler of a railway-locomotive, an independent engine mounted on the tender provided with a driving-shaft, a longitudinally-shifting coupling for said shaft and actuating mechanism therefor, and a car adapted to be coupled with the 1 tender and provided with a centrally-located door-operating shaft arranged on the same level with said shifting coupling-and adapted to be connected therewith, substantially as set forth.

3. Unloading apparatus comprising in combination with the tender and boiler of a railway-locomotive, an independent engine mounted on the tender provided with a driving-shaft, a longitudinally-shifting coupling for said shaft and actuating mechanism therefor, and a car adapted to be coupled with the tender and provided with opening and closing doors and a centrally-located door-operating shaft arranged on the same level With said shifting coupling and adapted to be connected therewith, the shaft of said car bemg provided with means connected with said opening and closing doors of the car, substantially as set forth.

4. In a car, the combination with opening and closing gates thereof, of a central longitudinally-arranged shaft connected with said gates, said shaft being provided at one end with a surrounding internally-squared sliding clutch and at the other end with a squared terminal arranged to be engaged by a similarsliding clutch of an adjacent car, substantially as set forth.

5. In a car, the combination with opening and closing gates thereof, of a central longitudinally-arranged shaft connected with said gates, said shaft being provided at one end with a surrounding internally-squared sliding clutch and at the other end with a squared terminal arranged to be engaged by a similar sliding clutch of an adjacent car, with means for shifting said clutch and for locking the shaft against rotation, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a dumping-car having opening and closing gates, of a longitudinally-arranged shaft connected with said gates by flexible devices, said shaft having at one end a slidingly-mounted clutch provided with peripheral rack-teeth and an interior shaft-engaging cavity, a pinion engaging said teeth and provided with an operating-shaft, a toothed locking-wheel secured to the shaft, and a locking-bar provided with corresponding teeth, said longitudinal shaft being pro vided at its other end with a terminal arranged to be engaged by a similar shifting clutch, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE WARD. Witnesses:

O. M. CLARKE, OHAs. S. LEPLEY. 

